Gateway Community College (GCC) held its 23rd Commencement Ceremonies on Thursday, May 21. Among the 925 graduates of the Class of 2015 was 19-year-old Arnaldo Falcon. Arnaldo, who received his degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences, is the second member of his immediate family to graduate from Gateway and was inspired to attend GCC when his father, Bernardo Falcon graduated with honors in 2010.

“My father transferred to Southern Connecticut State University,” explains the younger Falcon. “Now he’s just finished his first year at Western New England University Law School. He showed me that if I work hard anything is possible!”

Following in his father’s footsteps, the younger Falcon started at Gateway in 2012 right out of high school. He became highly involved in college life, starting out as an orientation leader and then being elected to the post of Secretary of the Student Government Association. He was also elected to the post of President of the Organization of Latin American and continued to be an Orientation Leader, mentoring more than 100 students. Before too long, Arnaldo took a student worker position in the Counseling office where he worked on leadership workshops and eventually became a certified student leader.

Arnaldo Falcon will continue his studies after graduation. “I am lucky to have been accepted to all of the schools that I applied to,” he says. “It’s a difficult decision and a great problem to have.”